Loser of the Year
by lifeisbechloe
Summary: One-shot based on Simple Plan's song "Loser of the Year." Beca, a now successful music producer in LA, realizes her success means nothing to her if she can't share it with the one person she wants to. Will she throw it all away just for the chance to be with Chloe again?


**A/N:** If you haven't listened to the song before, I highly recommend you do so before reading this; it'll better help you understand the plot, as well as give you some major feels.

* * *

Three years.

It's been three years since Beca graduated from Barden. It's been three years since waving goodbye to all of her friends before walking through her gate at the airport with tears streaking across her face.

It's been three years since she left Chloe.

Beca shook her head, attempting to dispel all thoughts about the redhead from her mind, before focusing her eyes back on the computer screen in front of her.

How the hell was she supposed to concentrate on her work now?

It was simple: she couldn't.

Sighing in annoyance, Beca ran a hand through her hair as she swiveled her chair around to look out the office window situated behind her. The nightlife of Los Angeles flooded her view as the multitude of buildings lit up the dark sky, dotting the blackness with different hues of yellow and red.

This view would always leave her breathless.

This was what she wanted, right? To be successful in making a name for herself in LA, producing music for a record label that not only showed interest in her talents, but also helped improve her techniques as well? To have people constantly praise her for her work, each one acting more impressed than the last?

Then why did it feel like something was missing?

Beca sighed. She knew the answer, despite her attempts in trying to forget the obvious for however many months now.

It all started a few months back at a label party at her boss's mansion in Beverly Hills, thrown to celebrate the release of a new track Beca had produced that featured Lil Wayne.

The night started off smoothly, different co-workers and their significant others coming up to congratulate her, maybe offering to buy her a drink or two, before leaving to make their way around to the rest of the guests at the party.

It was always the same at these types of events; the initial round of applause and string of compliments from close friends and random strangers, followed by an agonizing hour or two of drunken idiots throwing themselves at her in hopes of getting their fifteen minutes of fame with the successful brunette, before she would end up excusing herself and heading back to her house. Alone.

Despite the countless number of attractive faces that seemed to be infatuated with Beca, none of them ever seemed to catch her eye. One time Katy Perry complimented her boobs, and all she could do in response was offer a half-hearted 'thanks.'

She never was interested in taking anyone home or getting to know someone on a more intimate level –and chose to actively ignore the real reason why that was- but tonight was different. She was propped up against the bar, back facing the bartender, as she held an animated conversation with the artist on her song.

"Yo B, this is tight! This song is gonna blow fuckers' minds!" Wayne raved, clinking his glass with Beca's beer bottle, before taking a large gulp. Beca followed suit, reveling in the sweet aftertaste of her drink.

"I know dude, thanks so much for working with me!" Beca replied, a small smile forming on her face.

She took another sip out of her bottle before scanning the crowd before her, trying desperately to shove the feeling of disappointment into the back of her mind. She wasn't disappointed per say, seeing as everyone here loved her work; no, it was something more. It almost felt like something was _missing_.

And then she saw it. The quick flash of red hair flying through the crowd, her back towards Beca, as the figure moved quickly towards the inside of the mansion. Her heart stopped for a brief moment as her mind went completely blank. _There's no fucking way._

She tried to reason with herself; to convince herself that there was no way in hell that Chloe Beale was here in LA, at _her_ release party, after not talking to the brunette for months. Zero chance.

But still, Beca couldn't help as her eyes followed the woman through the crowd, her heart rate increasing with each passing second.

She didn't even realize Lil Wayne was still talking to her until her shoved her shoulder playfully, asking why she just zoned out on him.

"Sorry dude, but I kind of have to go do something right now."

Wayne nodded his understanding as Beca downed the rest of her beer, placing the bottle on the bar behind her, before racing off to follow the mystery woman. She felt her body heat up as she grew closer, her pace increasing with each stride. She followed her into the house, stopping in her tracks as she silently watched the redhead search for her coat in the closet near the front door. Her side profile was hidden behind the wood, the only visible parts of her being her curly red hair and her vibrant blue dress.

Beca observed the woman from afar, inhaling deeply and running her tongue across her bottom lip nervously. She recognized that body shape, the way her hair fell just a few inches below her shoulders. With every passing second, Beca managed to further convince herself that it was Chloe. Somehow, someway, Chloe Beale was here. In Los Angeles. At this party. She bit her bottom lip anxiously, making sure no one else was around them, before approaching the woman.

She grabbed the woman's arm anxiously, spinning her around in haste. "Chlo—Oh my god, I am so sorry."

Beca's face seemed to both flush and drain of color all at once as a pair of unfamiliar brown eyes met hers, a confused and horrified expression on the woman's face.

"Can I help you?" the woman questioned, her brow furrowing as her eyes burned daggers into Beca.

Beca gulped nervously, quickly releasing her grip from the redhead's arm, before slowly backing away so there were a few feet of distance between them.

"I-I, I thought you w-were someone else. I am s-so sorry," Beca stuttered out as all of the air in her lungs seemed to rush out at once, leaving her a breathless mess in the hallway. Before the mystery woman had a chance to respond, Beca pushed her way past her as she ran for her car, tears stinging the backs of her eyes.

As she eagerly threw the door open and collapsed in the driver's seat, her head fell onto the steering wheel in defeat. The tears she attempted to hold back earlier now streaked across her face, messing up her makeup in the process.

She didn't care. She didn't care about any of it.

As she took a shaky breath, lifting her head so she was staring out the windshield of her car, memories began to flood her mind. The only thing she saw when she closed her to eyes to catch her breath were cerulean blue eyes staring back at her, silently pleading for her to stay. The image was etched in her brain, and although it could be momentarily forgotten by throwing herself into her music, it was always still there.

Beca noticed her door was still open as she reached for her phone in her back pocket, slamming the door shut with her free hand.

She pulled up her text conversation with Chloe, staring at the message and the date it was sent.

 **Chlo ((11/13/14 3:32 PM)): I miss you. Please say you miss me too**

She never responded.

How could she? No amount of words in a text message could convey Beca's feelings.

She ran away to LA after graduation, swearing she was following her dreams; ignoring the part of her that begged her to stay with Chloe because she loved her. Was in-love with her, even.

They exchanged texts and phone calls, sometimes Skype conversations over the next few years, but those always ended the same –with a certain heart ache and longing that Beca couldn't quite get rid of- so she decided it was enough. She couldn't do it anymore.

She couldn't handle talking to the one person who she walked away from –who was able to make her endlessly happy with just one simple smile. It hurt too much. Stung, even.

So she did what she always did- she ran. She ran far, far away from Chloe –from all of her problems- in hopes that it would get easier. She threw herself into her work in hopes that it would distract her.

And it did –at least she thought it did- up until now.

Beca sighed again as she was brought back to the present. She continued to stare out the window, her fingers gently tapping a familiar rhythm onto the arm rest of her chair as her thoughts battled one another.

It felt as though her mind was going to explode –like a war was raging on within her head- as she pressed her fingers to her temples, weighing her current options: to stay or to go.

With a click of her tongue and one last look at the scenery in front of her, her decision was made. She turned her chair around as she fiddled with the mouse, waking her computer.

Her screen flashed to life and lit up her now-dark office space, barely illuminating the multiple records framed around the room.

Beca opened her email and selected her boss's name from her address book before typing out a message.

 _Josh,_

 _Need a few person days. Will let you know if anything changes._

 _Beca_

She clicked send and released a breath she didn't realize she was holding before starting a new email, this time selecting her assistant Claire.

Beca hesitated, her fingers tensing as she tried to think of how to word the thoughts present in her head.

Nothing she accomplished over the last three years meant anything to her. She thought it would be different if she became successful –like the fame would somehow replace her feelings for Chloe instead- but it didn't.

She decided she didn't want any of it –the clothes, the money, the cars, the houses, the friends, the attention- if she couldn't share it with someone she cared about; if she couldn't share it with Chloe.

Nodding as if she was trying to encourage herself, Beca's fingers began to glide over the keyboard, and before she realized it, she typed out her message to Claire.

 _Claire,_

 _Will you do me a huge favor and check current prices for the houses in my neighborhood? I'm thinking about selling and I'm not sure how well the market is at the moment. While you're at it, can you also check and compare trade-in prices for the jeep and range rover? I'll be out of town for a few days, so just email me what you find._

 _Thanks, you're a life saver._

 _Beca_

Beca opened her web browser, typing in the link to the American Airlines website. She glanced at the clock on her computer and noticed the time- 10:43 PM. She clicked on flight bookings, putting the departure from Los Angeles, CA and arrival in Atlanta, GA, before hitting search.

As she scrolled through the possible options of flights, her phone and computer dinged simultaneously, signaling a new email in her inbox. She noticed the sender was Josh and chose to ignore it, deciding she didn't want to deal with the consequences of suddenly abandoning her job at that exact moment.

After what seemed like an eternity, Beca found a one-way flight that left LAX at 11:15 PM that night. Without a beat of hesitation, she clicked on 'add to cart' and dug her debit card out of her wallet in her back pocket.

After a few minutes and one purchased plane ticket later, Beca was in a cab on her way to the airport.

She knew this was crazy –going after Chloe without as much as a change of clothes- but she couldn't find it in herself to care; she refused to let herself lose Chloe again. She refused to feel like a loser in a situation where everyone else considered her a winner.

As her cab arrived at the airport, she threw a generous tip at her driver, thanking him for the speedy transportation, as she exited the vehicle and dug her phone out of her pocket, checking the time- 11:05 PM. Taking a deep breath, she quickly made her way inside the building, expertly dodging the few other flyers who were lugging suitcases that were admittedly too big for their bodies out the entrance.

For the most part, the place was pretty much empty aside from the occasional businessman asleep in a row of connected chairs. Beca thanked whatever higher power that allowed her to quickly move through security, sighing in relief as she arrived at her gate with a few minutes to spare.

She glanced around, the only other people seated at her gate being an elderly man and a boy who looked to be around her age, headphones slung lazily around his neck. He smiled at her gently, and she nodded back before unlocking her phone and opening her notes.

She saved Chloe's address in her phone when she first arrived in California, promising to visit the redhead the second her job allowed her some free time. Several years later, and somehow that opportunity never seemed to come up.

Beca cringed, a wave of insecurity and doubt suddenly washing over her.

What the fuck was she doing? She initially just threw away everything she worked for over the past three years just for the chance to _see_ Chloe. She doesn't even know if Chloe is single, let alone if the redhead still has any feelings for her.

Her thoughts were cut off by the stewardess announcing that her plane was boarding. After once last glance at the address in front of her, she brought up her ticket on her phone and took in a deep breath before standing up and making her way over to the podium.

* * *

It was almost five in the morning when a loud banging noise startled Chloe and awoke her from her sleep.

She shot up in bed, rubbing her eyes to focus them, before quickly throwing on a sweatshirt and cautiously creeping out of her room. Her whole body tensed when the banging came again, but relief quickly followed when she realized it was just someone knocking on her door.

 _Wait, someone knocking at this hour?_

Confusion swept over Chloe, considering the only person she knew who could possibly be awake this early in the morning would be Aubrey, and she was currently on vacation with Stacie and her parents in Hawaii.

Another knock echoed throughout her house, and Chloe was brought back to reality. She tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear as she walked towards the door, her hand slightly trembling from her nerves.

As she unlocked and slowly opened the door, she felt her stomach drop immediately. Her heart leapt into her throat, rendering her speechless as she stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of her. Her entire body heated up, but she felt like she was frozen in place. She swallowed hard, hoping to cure her now-dry throat. After a few moments, she finally croaked out a somewhat-audible sentence.

"Beca?"


End file.
